Carte Blanche
by LogicalBookThief
Summary: Romance Dawn AU: What if Shanks had arrived too late that day and the bandit had made good on his promise to sell Luffy? Only instead of a circus, a slave ship passing through East Blue offers a pretty penny for the rubber boy. I'm tweaking canon just the tiniest bit, so canon-compliant for the rest of the series. See inside for more details.


Ahoy, everyone! This is my first time dipping into the One Piece fandom in a _looong_ while, but, I'm excited to be back! And I hope you'll like what I have to offer, as I have an emotional slave fic in store, and feedback is very much appreciated.

I would recommend having read Romance Dawn (the first chapter of the One Piece manga, episode 4 of the anime, and/or the Episode of Luffy special) or have knowledge of what happened, since the basis of this story is derived from it. Other than that, though, everything beyond Romance Dawn will be canon-compliant. This isn't going to be a long, drawn out epic (I'm already working on one of those in another fandom); just an idea I really wanted to try. I'm estimating less than ten chapters in all. Still, I'll be glad to have you along for the ride!

Disclaimer: Argh, I may be a pirate at heart, but an owner of One Piece I am not!

* * *

It was a bright afternoon, on an island named for the rising sun, and there were three boys were rummaging through a river of refuse.

At least, the older two were; the youngest of the three – with a hat too big for his head and a heart too large for his chest – was far more interested in climbing to the tallest trash pile he could find and sliding down it with a gleeful, 'Yahoo~!'

"Idiot," one of the elder brothers, Ace, grumbled (while plainly resisting the urge to smile) at his antics. "You're suppose to be looking for useful stuff!"

"Luffy was never good at focusing on a task for a long period of time," the remaining brother, Sabo, retorted with a laugh.

But these boys were not the only people present. They were sifting through the Gray Terminal; essentially a dumping ground for the trash of the nearby Goa Kingdom. The poorest residents of the kingdom were forced to dwell in such a place, while the upper class lived in luxury beyond a thick, concrete wall.

Despite their poverty, the inhabitants of the Gray Terminal were by no means stupid, nor were they uninformed. Definitely more informed than the three brothers, who spent the majority of their time in the Midway Forest, far from the society that scorned them so (for reasons both superficial and secret). As such, none of them had any idea of the impending arrival of which a pair of old men were currently discussing.

"Heard they were comin' for an inspection," one old man muttered, stroking his scraggly white beard. "Whatever that means, it can't be good for us. Best to just stay out of the way until they leave."

The other man nodded, wrinkled eyes swiveling towards the boys salvaging nearby. "Oi, you kids had best steer clear, too," he advised loudly, catching the youths' attention.

"Steer clear of what, ossan?" wondered Luffy. Ace and Sabo strongly suspected than the old man's warning was mostly for his benefit, as the elders were quite fond of their little brother, who always greeted them with a wave and a boisterous hello.

"The World Nobles," the old man elaborated gravely. "Word is they're headed to this island for an inspection sometime this year. And you ought to avoid them at all costs."

"Why?" challenged Ace, never one to submit to authority, even when it was in his best interest. But the geezer's eyes held the utmost seriousness when he answered, "They're a cruel, dangerous bunch." The old man shook his head, muttering, "Best to stay away," under his breath again before he and his companion hobbled off.

"I agree," Sabo added once they had left, surprising Ace. Then again, his brother _was_ a former noble, so he probably knew more about them than anyone else in Gray Terminal. "The World Nobles are huge jerks that get away with all sorts of crimes because the government has granted them immunity, and their protection is a top priority." Sabo sounded sorry to say it. "No matter what they do to you or someone else, you can't fight back – not unless you have a death wish."

Ace took a moment to digest this information. "Tch. Whatever. I wouldn't want to be near those assholes, anyway," he said at last. Turning to the youngest, he continued, "Hear that, Luffy? You're the most trouble out of the three of us, so you had better–"

But Luffy wasn't there. In fact, after a cursory look around the junkyard, the boys realized that their little brother was nowhere in sight.

"Damn it! Where'd he go?" cursed Ace, swiveling to and fro.

"Maybe he got bored and went home?" Sabo suggested. It sounded like something Luffy would do, certainly. So after gathering their haul, the pair trudged home, expecting to see Luffy waiting for them there, grinning and demanding food.

However, when they returned to their treehouse at Mt. Colubo, they found no trace of their wayward brother. They sought Dadan and the bandits, wondering if Luffy had gone there, yet they hadn't seen hide nor hair of the rubber boy. Believing him to be hiding or playing a prank, Sabo and Ace decided to ignore his absence, thinking he'd turn up eventually when it became clear that his _much_ wiser older brothers weren't going to fall for his deceit.

Time passed, and though neither admitted it, their concern grew with each passing hour. The last straw was when they started roasting their dinner; a pile of crocodile meat leftover from their last hunt. Surely the smell of food, if nothing else, would draw Luffy out?

It didn't.

Worried now, Ace and Sabo grabbed their spears and headed into the jungle, without even bothering to eat first. They ran past the tall trees and searched every crevice for their missing brother, all the while shouting his name. As the tell-tale signs of dusk were beginning to settle upon the earth, the boys were becoming frantic, until luck brought them to a aging tree with large, upturned roots that created a sort of hole in the ground. Wedged between the overgrown roots was a child with a familiar straw hat.

"Hey, I found him!" Sabo cried loud enough for Ace to hear. The relief upon seeing Luffy was whole and unharmed was followed by anger at his abrupt disappearance. He was ready to give Luffy a serious reprimand, but something stopped him from delivering it.

"Where've you been, idiot? We've been calling for you!" Ace fumed. He tried to stalk past Sabo – probably to knock some sense into their stupid little brother – only to be halted by a hand on his chest. "Oi, Sabo!"

"Something's wrong," Sabo said slowly. Ace frowned before realizing that Luffy had yet to respond. He was tucked into an impossibly tight ball of limbs, with his face buried in his knees, and his small fists clenched around the brim of his hat to point that his knuckles were white. Ace had seen Luffy scared before, even beaten to the point of silence, but he could sense that this was different, and his chest tightened with something like forebode.

"Luffy?" prodded Sabo, dropping to a crouch in front of the younger boy, who still hadn't moved. Ace was ready to reach for him again, Sabo be damned, when the seven-year-old finally spoke.

"I'm not afraid," he whispered, so softly that Sabo strained to hear it.

"Afraid of what?" the blonde boy inquired, sharing a confused glance with Ace.

"I'm not afraid!" Luffy denied, and it was apparent now that he was speaking more to himself than the other two. His posture shifted slightly, revealing his watery eyes and trembling lower lip, his entire expression pinched with resolve. "I _can't_ be afraid..."

Brow furrowed, Ace said, "Of course you can be afraid! You're our crybaby little brother!" He narrowed his eyes. "Who told you that, anyway?"

No reply.

"Luffy, please. Talk to us," Sabo begged because Luffy was _never_ silent, _never_ evasive. He was loud and cheerful and honest and seeing him like this made Sabo's gut churn to the point of desperation, and at that moment he was fairly certain he would do anything to fix this – whatever _this_ was– just so his little brother would smile again. And he was absolutely certain Ace felt the same.

"Just tell us what's making you afraid so we can go kick its ass, okay?" said Ace fiercely, scowling when Luffy vehemently shook his head, disturbed by the mere suggestion. Growing frustrated, Ace exclaimed, "Why not? We're your brothers, aren't we?"

That appeared to reach Luffy through his fear, and from his shell the little brother they knew and loved emerged. "I-I got scared when I heard about the World Nobles coming here," he confessed, swallowing thickly. "I don't want to be taken. Not again."

Sabo blinked, still not comprehending. "You're not making sense, Lu."

In lieu of answering, Luffy slowly pulled his precious hat from his head, fingers loosening. He stared thoughtfully at the straw head piece, as if in deep remembrance of something. "Did I ever tell you how Shanks gave me his hat?" he asked out-of-the blue.

"Only a million times," snorted Ace, trying and failing to summon his usual annoyance. "You said he gave it to you after he saved your life."

"But I never mentioned how he saved my life," Luffy stated matter-of-factly before taking a deep breath. "See, the truth is...Shanks saved me from a slave ship."

"Slave?" Ace echoed, while Sabo's mouth dropped open. Their little brother nodded.

Neither had been expecting that. Frankly, neither quite knew how to process such information. But they were big brothers, and thus, they didn't need to know how. All they needed to do was be there and listen, as Luffy opened his mouth, braced his heart, and shared his story.

* * *

_Nearly one year ago..._

"Oi, let me out, you big ugly baboon!" Luffy shrieked, small body wriggling in an attempt to escape his current prison; which happened to be a burlap sack, slung over the shoulder of his captor.

"Stop squirming, you little shit, or I might decide to drop you into the ocean after all," Higuma snarled, throwing his sack against a tree trunk. Unfortunately, it did nothing to deter his captive's struggles. The bandit sighed.

After just managing to escape those damn pirates, the last thing he needed was this little twerp causing him more trouble. Initially, taking the boy and disappearing in a puff of smoke had been a precaution, a hostage to ensure a clean getaway. He probably could've been rid of him then, tossed him into the sea and let him drown or left him to the beasts of Midway Forest. Higuma had taken both options into deep consideration, especially since he was still pissed about the kid insulting him.

In the end, though, he figured he might as well go with his original plan. Death was too swift, too easy for this punk. Maybe a trip to market would teach him a lesson.

He inwardly laughed at the pirates – the subject of his and the boy's disagreement – who were probably giving chase, secure in the knowledge they would never find the pair in time to save their friend. The quickest route from that sleepy coastal village to the port in Goa Kingdom went through Midway Forest. Only bandits familiar with the area would be able to traverse the dangerous terrain quickly and without trouble. If they weren't foolish enough to follow his path, they would have to sail around the edge of the island; either way, the brat would be long gone by then, and so would Higuma.

So it was with the utmost confidence that he sauntered through the throngs of stalls and shopkeepers of the Goa port. He walked until he found a person he'd done business with before; a short man with a single, bushy eyebrow who dabbled in rare (and often illegal) goods. The man startled when Higuma approached, slamming his sack atop his stall table.

"Ack, damn bandit, whaddya want?" he demanded in his raspy croak of a voice.

"Just come to do some business," Higuma said innocently, yet the smirk on his face said otherwise.

The shopkeeper eyed the wriggling bag critically. "What've you got in there? Some rabid animal?"

"Of a sort," the bandit replied vaguely. No sooner than he spoke did the creature inside the bag yell, "I'm NOT an animal, you stupid baboon bastard!"

"I told you to shut up!" he growled at it.

Meanwhile, the shopkeeper's single brow had jumped in surprise. "I-Is that a kid?!"

"Yeah. Some pathetic runt that thought he could beat me," Higuma grumbled. "But while I was teaching him some respect, a group of lowlife pirates showed up to save the brat. I could've stayed and fought, but what better way to punish them then to sell their little friend?"

"And who do expect to sell him to?" the shopkeeper asked, somewhat warily.

"Well, this particular brat ate one of those cursed fruits, so now he's got abnormal powers. I figure there might be a traveling circus in the market. Could always use an addition to their freak show."

"Pardon me," a new voice interrupted, breaking their conversation. The question came from a tall, hooded man with dark sunglasses. "Did I hear you correctly? You're trying to sell a boy with Devil Fruit abilities?"

"So what if I am?" The bandit scowled.

The man aside of Sunglasses, an inconspicuously-dressed gentlemen with hair pulled into rat tail-like ponytail, answered, "My associate and I happen to be in the market for people with such rare abilities. What can this boy do, exactly?"

"Far as I can tell, eating that cursed fruit turned his body to rubber," Higuma explained. "He can stretch his skin and body – could be entertaining, I guess, in a bizarre sort of way. And he can take a hit, that's for sure. Scrawny bastard shakes off a blow that could crack a grown man's skull."

"Interesting," Rat Tail murmured thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "How much are you willing to sell for?"

"Well, I hadn't really thought about it..." the bandit drawled, making a show of contemplating it.

"We will pay you 3,000 beri," Sunglasses offered.

The bandit's jaw fell open, gob-smacked at the amount. _3,000 beri! That's half my bounty! _Higuma was practically salivating at the prospect of having that much money; and getting his revenge on the rubber brat, to boot! It seemed too perfect an opportunity to waste.

"Do we have a deal?" Sunglasses pressed. Higuma nodded eagerly, dumping the brat into his burly arms.

"He's all yours!" he said without preamble, giving the sack one final sneer of contempt. "See ya' around, brat. Or _not."_

"What an oaf," Sunglass chortled, after paying the bandit, who strutted away like he'd just made the bargain of the century. "He doesn't even know he's being swindled. A normal human alone goes for _at least_ 500,000 beri in the slave trade."

"Perks of doing business in East Blue," Rat Tail shrugged. "Let's get a move on, yeah? Boss wants to leave this port pronto."

"Fine by me," grunted Sunglasses, adjusting the sack over his shoulder.

Neither paid any attention to the child who continued to struggle against his burlap cage, unaware of the fate that awaited him.


End file.
